Pentagon contracts for guided-missile launchers, components

By

James LaPorta

Weapons load crew team members from the 44th Aircraft Maintenance Unit work together to lift an AIM-9L/M Sidewinder missile onto an LAU-128 missile rail launcher during a quarterly weapons load competition on Oct. 24, 2016, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Photo by Naoto Anazawa/U.S. Air Force

June 18 (UPI) -- Marvin Engineering has been awarded a contract for more than 1,000 guided-missile launchers and components for U.S. military fighter aircraft.

The deal, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, is valued at more than $126.5 million under the terms of a firm-fixed-price supply contract and enables Marvin Engineering to provide 1,450 guided missile launchers and 925 sub-assembly components for multiple fighter aircraft, according to the Pentagon.

Specifically, the parts will be used on the LAU-128 and 129 Guided Missile Launcher that is used on F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-18 Hornet variants and AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles.

Work on the contract will occur in Inglewood, Calif., and is expected to be complete by May 2023.

More than 43.4 million will be obligated to Marvin Engineering at time of award. The funds will be allocated from fiscal 2018 defense capital working funds, the Pentagon said.